A way too early Washington Capitals 2024 Mock Draft

The Washington Capitals will hold eight picks in this year's NHL Draft. As we've done, we'll do several of these mock drafts to introduce you to prospects we think the Caps could and should select.

We like to make this a big deal like the NFL Draft and so is the NHL as the draft will take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas in the first ever televised event at the venue.

Using the tool MyNHLDraft.com, with the 17th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft the Capitals select Michael Hage from Chicago of the USHL. He's listed as six foot one and 190 pounds and plays center. Center depth is unfortunately what the Capitals need with Evgeny Kuznetsov gone and Nicklas Backstrom's future unknown.

Per Elite Prospects, Hage was born on April 14, 2006 and was born in Canada, starring in his youth days for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Elite Prospects ranks him 26th on their draft board but Daily Face Off has him ranked at #19.

The highlights

Check out these highlights from NHL Draft Pros above which calls him "one of the top draft eligible player of the USHL".

As you can see and hear about this player he's like an Anthony Mantha but could be more athletic. 190 pounds is no joke and if you're six foot in hockey with that weight that's speed and youth that the Capitals are looking for.

Whether you're team rebuild or team get another run at the Cup, we all agree the Caps have to load up their prospect pool and this is an important draft to do just that. The fact they even have this kind of draft capital despite MAKING the playoffs is a total fleece move by the front office and we are all for it.

The Caps will have one pick in the first round of the draft along with the second. The gold round is three picks in the third then a fourth, fifth and sixth. That's at least for this year.